Gauteng on the board as KZN and WP pack a punch
The Central Gauteng u19A boys got their Schools Water Polo South Africa (SWPSA) Inter-Provincial Tournament (IPT) title defence off to a shaky start, edging out Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) 10-8 on Saturday in Johannesburg.
The hosts were far from their best, but they got the job done in the Jubilee Pool, in front of a packed crowd, at St David’s Marist Inanda.
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They were pushed hard by a spirited NMB side, and it took moments of magic from three players in the final chukka to seal the win.
After a frantic start to the game, the home side led 5-3 at the break, thanks to goals by Simon Mussett (2), Chris Chapman, Erik Arwidi, and their skipper Nicholas Searle.
The second half was a totally different ball game. NMB came out firing, eager to cause an upset.
They conceded two more goals but clawed their way back into the game to end the quarter tied at 7-7 with Calum Emslie leading their charge.
NMB’s shot-stopper, Jacques Du Toit, was also influential, and he pulled off some eye-catching saves to keep his team in the contest.
It came down to the final quarter. Calm heads were needed, and Gauteng’s players rose to the challenge.
Searle gave his team the lead again, and the momentum shifted when James Crick made it 9-7. Cooper Haworth scored a late five-metre penalty to take Central Gauteng’s total into double figures.
Despite the loss, Nelson Mandela Bay sent a message to other teams that they’re not to be underestimated and came away from the contest with their reputation enhanced.
Another game that was of high interest on the opening day was the clash between KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) A and the Aussie Crocs.
In 2024, the Aussie Crocs stunned KZN in East London, so coach Rob Ambler‘s side knew they were in for a tough examination.
It was a tightly contested affair from the first to the final chukka, but KZN produced some outstanding moments during which they played incredible water polo.
They were, at times, superb in front of goal, with Adrian Truter and Thomas Francke keeping the scorers busy.
It was tight in the final chukka, with the Crocs clawing their way back into the game and, with three minutes to play, they trailed by only two goals.
KZN, however, showed class and maturity and held on for a three-goal win, much to the satisfaction of coach Ambler.
“It’s always good to beat the Crocs,” he told SuperSport Schools Plus after the game. “They were with us for a week before this tournament, and it’s always been close against them.
“I think we were far too rushed in our build-ups, and we let ourselves down in the final chukka.
“But this is a new team. They still haven’t got used to the way I coach, but we will get there. But I’m happy with where we are at the moment.”
While Gauteng and KZN recorded victories, Western Province A also made a tick in the win column, subjecting Northerns to a baptism of fire, with Province powering their way to a 20-7 victory.
Matt Fenn and Benjamin Bigara led the way, scoring four and five goals respectively, while Andrew Reynolds, Jandro Rojo-Roos, and Cole Abrahams all bagged braces.
In another interesting battle on the opening day, Central Gauteng B defeated Buffalo City 15-9.
It was a well-contested affair. Gauteng B was pushed to their limits, but a flurry of goals in the fourth chukka secured the win.
Mukhetwa Maemu was a man on a mission and netted four times for Gauteng, while David Latilla-Campbell bagged a hat-trick.
Matthew Cross and Luke Shipway contributed a brace each before strikes by Samuel Gomes, Matthew Peacock, Troy Pasqualle, and Ryan Morley took the game out of reach of Buffalo City.
Buffalo City received a heroic effort from veteran Thomas Caswell, who scored six of his side’s nine goals.
“These games are really long, and I think what we showed today is that, as a team, you really need to grind them out,” Central Gauteng B head coach Thabang Madi told SuperSport Schools Plus.
“You can’t think you’ve won it or lost in the first half. We saw that in the last chukka when we finally got away from them.”
Madi and his troops will next turn their attention to a massive clash against Central Gauteng A on day two at 10:15.
“We want to be as competitive as we possibly can,” he said when asked about the match with their local rivals. We know we are a B-side, so no game is going to be easy.
“We might concede a lot, but we have it in us to score a lot as well. We won’t give up, and we’ll play until the final whistle.”
Day two’s action kicks off early on Sunday morning with a meeting between Eden Districts and Zimbabwe at 07:00.
SCORES
Central Gauteng B 15: Mukhetwa Maemu (4), David Latilla-Campbell (3), Matthew Cross (2), Luke Shipway (2), Samuel Gomes (1), Matthew Peacock (1), Troy Pasqualle (1), Ryan Morley (1). Buffalo City 9 (Thomas Caswell 6, Daniel Woodin (1), David Emslie (1), Daniel Stead (1).
Western Province A 20: Matt Fenn (5), Benjamin Bigara (4), Andrew Reynolds (2), Jandro Rojo-Roos (2), Cole Abrahams (2), Blake Brown (1), Aidan Turrell (1), James Malan (1), Timothy Young (1), Luke Burger (1). Northerns 7 (Ettiene van der Merwe (3), Ruan Engelbrecht (1), James King (1), Adriaan van Niekerk (1), Christiaan Truter (1).
KwaZulu-Natal A 16: Adrian Truter (5), Thomas Francke (3), Oliver Guy (2), Sebastian Laudenberg (1), John Watkins (1), Oliver Ludwig (1), Drew Hollingsworth (1), Jamie Nicolau (1), Thomas Aylward (1). Aussie Crocs 13 Benjamin Spall (5), Jack Plowman (4), Harry Colley (2), Hudson Dilkes (1), Joseph Gallagher (1).
Central Gauteng A 9: Nicholas Searle (3), Simon Mussett (2), Erik Arwidi (2), Chris Chapman (1), James Crick (1), Cooper Haworth (1). Nelson Mandela Bay 7: Calum Emslie (3), Carter Rosser (2), Johan Moolman (1), Spencer Adshade (1), Christian Chandler (1).
Fixtures, Sunday, 7 December
07:00 – Eden Districts vs Zimbabwe
08:05 – Western Province B vs KwaZulu-Natal A
09:10 – KwaZulu-Natal B vs Eastern Gauteng
10:15 – Central Gauteng A vs Central Gauteng B
11:20 – KwaZulu-Natal A vs Northerns
12:25 – Western Province A vs Aussie Crocs
13:30 – KwaZulu-Natal B vs Eden Districts
14:35 – Buffalo City vs Nelson Mandela Bay
15:40 – Western Province A vs Western Province B
16:45 – Aussie Crocs vs Northerns
17:50 – KwaZulu-Natal B vs Zimbabwe
18:55 – Central Gauteng A vs Buffalo City
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